The Oregon Health Plan

The OHP has been successful in its goal of decreasing the number of uninsured in the state of Oregon and providing them with quality medical care at an affordable rate. When the plan started, nearly one-third of those individuals falling at or below the federal poverty level had no health insurance, and the plan has provided for these individuals. Furthermore, approximately 18% of all Oregonians had no health insurance in 1990. In 1997, the uninsured population fell to about 8%3. Also, the prioritization list has established an effective basic Medicaid benefit package that could be used by other state Medicaid programs and by insurance companies. Also, the use of Managed Care Plans and setting priorities for health care services has made the cost of health care for more customers affordable. The OHP is not perfect and will always be in a constant state of flux, because of changes in the financial state of Oregon and/or changes in the health care needs of the state. Therefore, the OHP will need to be continually evaluated on periodic bases for any needed changes. However, the state of Oregon should be commended for their attempt to explore uncharted waters, and to try to find an answer to the Nation's biggest health care concern/problem, which is to provide medical coverage for everyone in an affordable manner.